MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On October 3, 2015, a US AC-130 gunship aircraft shot 30mm cannon shells for 30 minutes into a MSF hospital in Kunduz, killing more than 40 medical staff and patients, including children. Earlier on Friday, commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM) Army Gen. Joseph Votel announced that Washington had taken administrative and disciplinary measures against the individuals involved.
"The administrative punishments announced by the U.S. today are out of proportion to the destruction of a protected medical facility, the deaths of 42 people, the wounding of dozens of others, and the total loss of vital medical services to hundreds of thousands of people," the organization said in a press release.
According to MSF, the "lack of meaningful accountability" sends a signal to the conflicting parties and is unlikely to deter "future violations of the rules of war."
Votel said that the attack represented a failure to follow the rules of engagement, but did not constitute a war crime.